Timeline & Map

Date (Empyrean Calendar)

Event

Description

10 BSE—1 (Before Sky Era)

The Demon Wars

The fabric between worlds starts weakening; tears form, allowing demons to slip into our world and starting a decade-long war.

1 BSE

The Holy Severance

Priests and Holy Champions alert the world that the Deities have stopped answering their prayers.  

1 SE

Day of Ascension (E)

The Magi of Empyrean use their powers to raise the City into the skies.

The Breaking of the World

Because the fabric between worlds finally gave way or for some other reason unknown to the survivors, the world broke apart, sending earth and stone spiraling into the skies above.  

The Duchy of Hilean and the Silvaen Forest are thrust into the air.

The First Blessing (H)

Lady Tristessa blesses those who volunteer with undeath so that they may work for the greater good while not using up what few resources are available in Hilean.  

Sleeping Fungorians (S)

The elves of Sylvialis find that their Fungorian allies have all fallen into an inert state, possibly because of the shock of being separated from the world. They cannot be woken.

2 SE

Creation of Hippogriffs (E)

The Magi create the first hippogriff, a fusion of the now-endangered creature, the horse, and giant birds. This hybrid creature allows them to leave their city and kickstarts their age of discovery.

Sky Whales and the Building of Hilean (H)

A pod of migrating sky whales flies close to a starving and desperate Hilean. Seizing this opportunity, the people slay many sky whales for food. Lady Tristessa and some of her council turn a handful undead. The undead sky whales are used as beasts of labor; they and their riders search for islands to haul back to Hilean, helping grow the Duchy beyond the small rock upon which it floated.

3 SE

Discovery of the World Storm

Separately, both Hilean and Empyrean stumble upon a great storm that seems to stretch from the world below, reaching miles and miles higher into the sky than their explorations have gone. It seems an insurmountable obstacle; both islands decide to explore in other directions.  

Creation of the Church of the Lady (H)

With near unanimous support, Lady Tristessa officially reforms the government of Hilean into a theocracy with her as its goddess.

 6 SE

First Contact between Empyrean and Sylvialis (S)

Empyrean hippogriff explorers encounter the vast resource-abundant island of Sylvialis and the wode elves who call it home. Excited, they bring the news home.

7 SE

Empyrean War/Invasion (S)

Empyrean, wanting Sylvialis's resources to support itself, sends an army on the backs of hippogriffs to try and take the island. This is the first use of Hippogriff Divers, elite shock troops.

The elves fight back with warriors atop giant birds, and their green elders use the island itself to repel the invaders. The war ends after 62 days, with Empyrean forces retreating to their city to lick their wounds.

Creation of the Baronies (S)

The elves of Sylvialis form baronies, guardians of the coast charged with better protecting the island's resources from invasion.

9 SE

First Contact between Empyrean and Hilean (H)

Empyrean explorers encounter Hilean. Hilean learns that there are other settled islands. They send a whale and some ambassadors back to Empyrean and another to Sylvialis. Empyrean initially sees little value in the small, dark city of Hilean.

10 SE

Trade Starts between the Three Islands

Hilean begins using two undead whales as trade vessels with Empyrean and Sylvialis. In response, Empyrean and Sylvialis use hippogriffs and giant birds to trade what little those creatures can carry.

14 SE

Sylvialis Shipbuilding (S)

The elves unlock the secrets of building ships that can soar through the skies. Lumber production increases tenfold.  

17 SE

Discovery of the Island of Blackstone (E)

An exploration party from Empyrean finds the hollowed-out volcanic island that becomes known as Blackstone.

21 SE

Fungorian Reawakening (S)

The fungorians awaken to a strange new world, with only vague memories of the world below. They find that the blank space in their minds has been filled with a strange new power.

39 SE

Ignition of Blackstone Volcano (E)

The long-dormant and empty volcano is seen to be belching smoke, and a red glow surrounds the island.

40 SE

Founding of the Blackstone Guild (E)

Empyrean founds the mysterious guild of Blackstone on the isle; it is made up primarily of dwarves. The guild’s purpose is unclear, and Empyrean rulership refuses to give any insight to its people or the other isles.

46 SE

Discovery of Lightstone (H)

Hilean miners uncover the mineral lightstone, which absorbs sunlight and shines for an extended time.

48 SE

The First Curse (H)

Lightstones are a precious commodity in high demand. In response, Lady Tristessa uses her power as a curse for the first time. Prisoners with death sentences receive a sentence of unlife, working the mines for lightstones and other precious minerals and stones.

51 SE

Empyrean Mining Raids (H)

Empyrean, hoping to break Hilean’s lightstone monopoly and stronghold on the precious metal trade, stages several raids on Hilean mining towns.

53 SE

Sylvialis/Hilean Trade Agreement

These islands forge an agreement to trade lightstone and other precious minerals for lumber and ships at a fair cost, leaving Empyrean out of the agreement. Empyrean responds with raids on both islands.

54 SE

Siege of Empyrean (E)

The combined forces of Hilean and Sylvialis fly to lay siege to Empyrean in response to the raids, where they are assaulted by a previously unknown weapon built by the Blackstone guild: the arcane cannon. After eight days, Hilean and Sylvialis’ forces are forced to retreat but plan to return with greater numbers to overwhelm the cannons.

55 SE

Empyrean Rises to the Weatherless Zone (E)

In response to the siege, the Empyrean Magi raise the city to the highest point where the air is still breathable. Any future attack must approach from below the city.

Treaty of Exchange

The three powers agree to cease hostilities in exchange for benefits from each of the islands.

• Empyrean shares the secrets of the arcane cannons.
• Hilean provides undead prison labor.
• Sylvialis lends two master gardeners to each island to help with food production.  

58 SE

Discovery of Stormspire (E)

While searching for shorter trade routes to the other isles, Empyrean explorers find a small isle, now called Stormspire, hovering over the top of the World Storm. Empyrean lays claim to the island and sets it up as a trading town between the major isles.

64 SE

Rise of Piracy

With Stormspire’s increasing popularity as a central trading post, piracy grows in the area. The World Storm gives pirates an easy place to flee when armed ships appear.

69 SE

United Armada

The three major islands unite to form a patrol to protect Stormspire and the trade routes from pirates. This forces the pirates and island forces into an arms race, intensifying the skirmishes.

71 SE

The Rift-Scarred

The world is made aware of the rift-scarred when the pirate Captain Nell “The Storm” Morris leads three ships against Stormspire and summons a storm that flattens the trading post while blowing away the five bigger ships guarding it. The pirates lay claim to the town.

72 SE

First Attempt at Retaking  Stormspire

The United Armada attempts to reclaim the trading post but cannot land a shot in the high winds controlled by The Storm.

75 SE

Death of Nell “The Storm” Morris

The United Armada attempts to retake Stormspire following the news of Morris’ death, but too many pirates unite under her banner. Resigned, the major islands return to trading around the World Storm rather than over it.  

78 SE

Goblins Appear from the Dead Realm (H)

Goblins appear from rifts in the dark corners of Inner Hilean. They claim to have come from the Dead Realm, where they fled to escape The Breaking. They bring the Art of Shadow, which they learned in the Dead Realm.  

82 SE

Invention of the Printing Press (H)

Priests of The Lady in Hilean invent the Printing Press. It catches on quickly and spreads to the other islands in a few years.

84 SE

Fungorian Anatomy (S)

The Fungorians act as a separate entity within Sylvialis's borders. They have a Seat on the Council of Baronies and send Ambassadors to the other isles.  

90 SE

Magical Artifacts  Discovered in the World Storm

A band of pirates descends into the storm, hoping to find an easy way to catch merchant ships off guard. They locate ancient ruins on islands within the storm. A powerful magic artifact is located in one such ruin.

91 SE

The Delvers

Delvers appear in Stormspire—adrenaline junkies and those down on their luck, willing to risk their lives to delve into the storm and bring back treasure and magical artifacts.

92 SE

Artifact Decree

During this year, all the major powers decree that magical artifacts found in the World Storm and elsewhere must be handed over to the delvers’ respective governments. The islands pay handsomely, which causes a divide amongst the delvers. Those who work for the major powers take the title of relic hunters. The others resort to smuggling and working with the criminal underground.

95 SE

Betrayal of Blackstone

The Blackstone guild grows weary of Empyrean’s control and exclusivity of its products. They make a deal with Hilean: if they can use Hilean’s undead whales to move Blackstone Isle into Hilean’s territory, Blackstone will offer massive discounts on their creations. Hilean agrees.

During the island's transport, Blackstone guild members kill the whale riders and pull their isle to the edge of the World Storm. They place it so it will be continuously shifted around the storm without being dragged into it. As a result, Blackstone is constantly on the move and not under the thumb of any of the major isles.

102 SE

Death of a Magus (E)

Magus Zopyrus is assassinated. His death marks the first time any of the Magi have died at all, let alone been murdered, in over 100 years. The single attacker could ignore the Magus’s numerous and powerful magical defenses, causing fear amongst the magical elite in Empyrean.

103 SE

New Magi (E)

The first human attains the rank of Magi. Magus Adel takes the coveted spot left open by Zopyrus' murder.

Fungorians Expelled from Empyrean (E)

The magi, unable to comprehend how someone could penetrate a Magus’s defenses, turn their gaze to the psionically gifted fungorians, expelling them from the city.

Writ of Stay

The Government of Empyrean decrees that all magical and psionic practitioners must announce themselves and be approved for a writ of stay before setting foot in the city.

109 SE

The Blackstone-Sylvialis Partnership

Sylvialis partners with Blackstone to help with the shipbuilding process. This partnership increases the ships’ control and speed while integrating arcane cannons and culverins better.

115 SE

Fungorians Allowed Back in Empyrean (E)

The fungorian ambassador and others are allowed back into Empyrean, although relationships remain tense.

121 SE

Sky Nomads

For the first time, during the annual sky whale migration, human and elven nomads are seen living among and on these enormous creatures.

130 SE

Runelock Weapons Appear

Blackstone releases personal and portable versions of the arcane cannon: the runelock pistol and runelock rifle.

137 SE

Wode Dreams (S)

The Green Elders, Master Gardeners, and Barons of Sylvialis have dark and rage-filled dreams during each new moon. None are certain about their meaning.

138 SE

Spirit of the Wode (S)

Out of the dark wode, a shining animalistic celestial steps; a cold rage is seen in its eyes as it views the desolation done to the forest. It starts attacking and destroying the lumber yards and sawmills.

The Wode Skirmishes (S)

The Baronies fight the celestial and the fungorians and rebel elves that side with it. Neither side wins outright. In the end, a ceasefire is called, and the baronies make a compromise. The elves cull less lumber from the woods, and the celestial teaches sustainable growing practices and magics to the Master Gardeners.

145 SE

Adom, The Golden One (H)

Riding on a giant manta, the celestial Adom appears in a small village. He soon wins the hearts of the villagers, who start worshiping him. This causes tension with the Church of the Lady in Hilean.

147 SE

Discovery of Mount Ancora

An elven merchant ship, thought lost for years, returns with stories of a mountain that pierces the toxic clouds below to rise into the lower atmosphere of the skies. Delvers and others looking to make their fortunes rush to explore the mountain.

148 SE

Founding of Port Ancora

The delvers and those who wish to make money from them found and settle the frontier town of Port Ancora.

150 SE

Discovery of the Sleeping Tree

Delvers discover the Sleeping Tree, a silver-barked and golden-leaved celestial sleeping deep in Mount Ancora.

151 SE

Founding of the Order of the Silver Tree

The knightly Order of the Silver Tree is founded to protect the celestial from explorers and others who would exploit its life-preserving fruit.

153 SE

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